Fatty Acid Surfactant Structure–Feedstock Flow Properties: Correlation for High‐Pressure Ceramic Injection Molding

The effect of four different fatty acids on the rheological behavior of polyethylene–paraffin–zirconia feedstocks was investigated systematically. The substitution of a small portion of the low-viscous paraffin by the fatty acid does not alter the binder viscoelastic flow characteristics. At high solid loads (50 and 55 vol%), the addition of small amounts of fatty acid surfactants causes a significant influence on the feedstocks flow properties. An optimized surfactant concentration around 2.2 mg/m2 fillers' specific surface area could be estimated. From melt rheology experiments, a clear correlation between the fatty acid molecular extension and resulting feedstock viscosity could be derived.